FOR BRIGHT FUTURES and SILVER CORD

COMMUNITY SERVICE IMPORTANT NOTES

Revised 8-24-2015

Why perform community service? Its the right thing to doto make a difference in your
communityto learn new skills and meet new peopleto learn the importance and value of helping othersto
satisfy the scholarship eligibility requirements to enhance your resume.
District guidelines for community service require the student to identify a social problem, develop a
plan for personal involvement in addressing the problem, and to submit documentation of the
experience by verifying the completion of service hours.
There is no community service requirement for graduation.
Community service requirements for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program/Silver Cord are:
o Florida Academic Scholars 100 hours
o Florida Medallion Scholars 75 hours
o Gold Seal Vocational Scholars 30 hours
o Silver Cord 200 hours
Seniors wanting to pursue Silver Cord must turn in a Silver Cord application by 4:00 pm,
November 2, 2015 and attach all community service verification documentation
forms for service completed up to that point (from 9-11th grade years including the summer
before 9th grade) to Mr. Raeford or Ms. Swartz. The deadline to submit service hours, earned between
November 3, 2015 and March 31, 2016, is 4:00pm Friday, April 1, 2016
Service hours for Bright Futures can be submitted up until graduation.
All community service should be pre-approved for the coming year if you want it to count
towards Bright Futures and/or Silver Cord and be on your high school transcript. Any
project that you will be undertaking during any school year must be pre-approved by
your guidance counselor during the first 9 weeks. Students can see school counselors for
approval during lunches each week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the
Counselor Corner lunch table.
Service hours that are over 50 hours must be accompanied by a letter confirming the fact that these
service hours were completed AND it must be on a letterhead from that non-profit organization.
If money was made at the event, it must be donated to charity or it will not count as community service.
Only non profit summer camps that are financially accessible to ALL members of the community count.
Participation in Varsity or Junior Varsity Athletics and regularly scheduled arts area performances does
not constitute volunteer service under these programs.
Participation in performances or festivals counts if the following apply:
a. Volunteer service meets an identified community service need, and
b. There is no admission charge accepted for the performance, and
c. Student participation is of voluntary nature, and
d. The performance does not promote the sponsoring organization, and
e. Neither the student organization nor the sponsoring organization receives payment for the
performance. If participation meets the above criteria, then partial rehearsal time may be counted.
Performing hours may be matched with the same number of rehearsal hours. For example, a chorus
member performs 1 hour at a nursing home and is given 2 hours of credit (1hour for the performance
and 1 hour for rehearsal).

 Refer to the sheet entitled: Duval County Public Schools Bright Futures Community Service
Guidelines OR go to http://www.duvalschools.org/Domain/4416